


The Change I Want to Be

by Rohad



Series: A Work in Progress [4]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Learning from the Past, Regrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 23:02:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21023681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rohad/pseuds/Rohad
Summary: Yellow has always been this way, but she wants to be better; and she will be.





	The Change I Want to Be

A jolt of electricity lit up the dim area around Yellow Diamonds workshop as she worked on the translator Steven had suggested to her. It was an interesting idea. So far it only worked on a small handful of intergalactic life but that smallest diamond had seemed thrilled with the idea of even just that when he had visited a few rotations earlier. 

It was going slowly. She needed more data. She tapped a gloved finger against her chin thoughtfully, perhaps if she sent a pair of moss agate’s to… 

A soft snore made her look up from the complex circuitry. 

Laying on a light blue padded couch that had somehow navigated into her workshop one day was Blue, folded arms cushioning her face as she lay half curled up in nearly silent slumber. 

Yellow couldn’t help the smile pulling at her lips even as she rolled her eyes. She had told her multiple times already that if she was tired to go rest in her chambers. The azure gem had only huffed, refusing to go without her and plopped herself definitely onto the seat, immovable until Yellow came to bed with her. 

Yellow had rolled her eyes than too, causing her love to cross her arms and glare back at her. She elected to ignore the intense cerulean stare and turn back to her project. 

Blue could be just as stubborn as she could, though less aggressively… 

She turned back to the task at hand, becoming fully absorbed once more, except for the occasional little snort or grumble from Blues slumbering form that would pull her back. 

Soon she hit the inevitable road block in her progress. Nothing she tried resulted in the correct results and she could feel the frustration rising in her gem. 

She frowned to herself as she worked, unaware of the hissing of the workshop doors opening.

With a frustrated sigh Yellow leaned back, observing the parts scattered across her workstation with mounting annoyance. 

“Hiya, Yellow!” A voice chimed, making the diamond jolt as Spinel sprung up from the ground before landing on the former general’s shoulder pauldron. “Whatcha’ doin?” She glanced down at the parts. 

“Working on something Steven suggested.” She grumbled, trying to work a circuit into its proper place. It stubbornly resisted her careful attempts. 

“Hmm” Spinel hummed loudly as she stretched and twisted around Yellow’s neck and shoulders, to get a different angled look at the slowly coming together device.

Normally, Yellow found the small gems antics charming but frustration was making her prickly. She sighed forcefully through her nose. Willing herself to relax as she continued to fiddle with the small part in her large hands. She cursed under her breath as it slipped again, missing the small opening in the circuit board. 

Spinel looked at her with a frown. “Ya know, you’ve been here a while...”She held up her hand, pinching her thumb and index finger together till they were almost touching. “...Why not take a lil break?” She suggested. 

“I need to finish this.” Yellow groused, adjusting her grip on the tiny metal prong. 

“Aw, come on!” She bounced on Yellow’s shoulder with a wide grin. “We could try a new game Steven showed me!”

Yellow was half listening as she tried to gently push the piece into place, it started to slide slowly. 

“You can play on teams!” The small pink gem explained. “I know you and Blue usually like to pair up…” she wagged her eyebrows knowingly and grinned. “...But maybe this time we could partner up…” 

The prong slipped again and Yellow’s temper flared, the circuit board splintered in between her fingers with an echoing _‘SNAP’_.

“Spinel!” She turned to glare down at the gem on her shoulder, lips pulled back over barred teeth. 

The bouncy playmate shrunk in on herself in the face of Yellow’s ire. Large eyes looking back at her fearfully.

Large pink eyes. 

So familiar to another pair…

_The moment she had come up with the idea for the destabilizers White had all but demanded she make the idea a reality. _

_Easier said than done. _

_She’d been locked in her workroom for how many rotations now she wasn’t even sure. She’s finished the design for the actual weapon and how it would work in theory. She was still trying to figure out a way to store large amounts of her own power so they could be charged and used even off world. _

_She growled to herself, drumming her fingers on the tabletop. White wanted results and she wanted them immediately. _

_“Hey Yellow!” _

_Golden eyes whipped to the call of her name, just in time to see Pink Diamond jump up and float gently down onto the table in front of her. _

_The smallest diamond looked up at her with a bright smile. “What are you doing?” _

_“Working…” Yellow sighed. Nudging the blush colored gem gently to the side, off her notes._

_Pink pouted at the dismissal. _

_“You’ve been in here for twelve roatations!” She threw out her arms. _

_That certainly explained why she was so tired…_

_“I’ll stay for twelve more if I must. This needs to be done as soon as possible.” White would have nothing else._

_Yellow sighed silently and pressed her fingers against her brow. Pink’s shrill cries drawing her attention to the dull throbbing behind her eyes. _

_“Why don’t you take a break?” Pink tried, looking up at Yellow from beneath her curly poof of pastel pink hair. _

_“I don’t have time for that, Pink.” Yellow huffed, the ache in her head growing with her frustration at the project._

_“Please, Yellow, come to the garden with me…” _

_Yellow slammed her hands down on the table, making Pink sway with the force as Yellow glared down at her. _

_“I do not have time to waste on foolishness, Pink! I have duties to attend to, the empire does not cease all function simply because you are bored.” _

_Pink gazed up at her with wide sorrowful eyes, lips pulled together tightly, to stop their trembling._

_“Go, let Blue indulge your childish games. I do not have time.” She turned back to the blueprints under Pinks feet without a second look. She paid Pink no more mind as the small diamond hurried away before the tears began to streak down her pale cheeks. _

Yellow stopped, staring down at the deflated Spinel, looking up at her helplessly. An ache filled her, keen and sharp behind her gem, any lingering irritation vanished like smoke. 

She was doing it again. What she had promised she would not. 

She took a deep breath. 

She would not repeat her mistakes, not ever. 

“I’m sorry.” She finally started. Spinel blinked up at her with wide eyes. “You’re right. I need to step away from this.” She stepped away from the table and held her hand up for Spinel who climbed onto the large sunlit palm.

“Go and find White, tell her that you and I will be defeating her and Blue in a new game.” She smirked as Spinel’s face lit up with a bright grin. 

"Swell!" Coiling up like a spring Spinel bounced off Yellows palm to the floor and bounced out the door. 

Yellow watched he cartwheel out before glancing back at her table at the broken bits of circuit board. 

It could wait.

She turned toward the couch and jumped,finding a pair of deep cobalt eyes looking back at her knowingly, no doubt she had witnessed the entire exchange. 

"You're awake…" Yellow folded her arms behind her back nervously. Surely Blue was not pleased with the way she had snapped at Spinel.

Blue hummed an affirmative as she unfolded herself from her place on the couch, hey eyes never leaving Yellow’s as she drew closer. 

Blue stopped only when there was enough space between them for the air neither of them needed. 

Long azure fingers reached up and stroked, feather light down one of Yellows sharp boned cheeks. 

The raw confusion on the golden gems face only made Blue smile. 

“I’m proud of you.” She said simply. The confused look on Yellow’s face only grew, if that was possible. 

“For losing my temper?” Yellow grumbled, trying to turn away from her love but Blue held her face still, giving her no choice but to look at her.

“For recognizing that you were hurting someone you care about, and fixing it.” She corrected, smoothing the lines beneath Yellows eyes with gentle swipes of her thumb.

“I still lost my temper.” Yellow frowned.

“As you have done many, many, many times before.” Blue agreed with a smirk. Yellow flushed a dark gold at the way Blue said it. “But… as you have never done before, you stopped yourself.” She smiled. “Your going to lose your temper, Yellow, it’s just part of who you are, the important thing is you’re trying.” 

Yellow’s flush darkened with Blue’s assurances. 

“You’re changing.” She leaned forward a laid a chaste kiss to the corner of Yellow’s mouth.

The ache that had filled her earlier had begun to lessen but finally vanished entirely, soothed by the balm of blue’s words and tender touch. 

“I’m not the only one…” Yellow’s mouth quirked into a smile as she gazed at the unrepentant happiness radiating off Blue. Unthinkable not so long ago. 

“Perhaps” She said simply, leaning further into her counterpart. Much closer and they would no longer be two. 

“Hey hey! Are you two coming?” 

Blue and Yellow looked to find Spinel, standing in White Diamond’s open palm in the doorway to Yellow’s workshop. 

“We were just on our way.” Blue assured, stepping away to put some distance between herself and Yellow in the presence of White and Spinel. 

Spinel sprung off whites palm and clamored onto Yellow’s shoulder. Making the three diamonds smile. 

“You don’t have to stop on our account.” She assured with a grin, making one of Yellow’s brows hike upward at the smaller gems cheekiness.” 

“I would prefer it if they did.” White folded her hands in front of her, lips pulling into a satisfied smirk as Blue and Yellow both darkened. “I believe Blue and I have a game to win?” The gem matriarch turned to her temporary partner. Blue smiled at the older diamond. 

“Ready partner?” Spinel bounced excitedly as she turned to Yellow who grinned.

“Ready”


End file.
